Just back from five days in tropical Mazatlan, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico north of Puerto Vallarta, I have a new appreciation for authentic, regional Mexican cuisine, often hard to find in "Mexican" eateries in my neck of the woods.
Handmade corn tortillas, fish served the same day it's caught and a better variety of chile sauces made the restaurants I sampled stand out, even the casual ones--and most of them were very casual. It's hard to beat the freshness of the day's shrimp or fin fish catch, simply prepared in a shoreline restaurant, such as La Puntilla or Diego's on the Beach. The ceviche and the whole fish (zarondeado), currently corvina, the latter grilled on the beach over a wood and mesquite fire, were outstanding.
Flavorful stews made with a variety of meats satisfied my appetite at several restaurants, including Panama in the Golden Zone and El Meson de los Laureanos in the small village of El Quelite north of Mazatlan. Panama, which began as a cake bakery, also has wonderful cakes and pies, especially the guava pie and the dried plum cake.
It's hard or impossible to duplicate some of these dishes in the Chicago area, but I encourage more local Mexican restaurateurs to try a little harder.
No comments:
Post a Comment